1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and devices used for personal defense, specifically to compact, non-lethal irritant or chemical spray devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art defensive spray devices, particularly personal self defense sprays using chemical irritant sprays (including pepper or mace sprays) to ward off attacks from animals or other assailants, typically comprise a spray canister containing a pressurized irritant spray such as a chemical repellent. The spray canister is typically carried on the person in a purse or handbag, backpack or other carry bag. To use the spray, the user must first find it among all other items in the bag in which the spray is carried, remove the device from the bag and insure that the nozzle is pointing towards the threat. Then the user must remove some form of safety, which typically consist of a cap or trigger locking wedge or pin. A problem with such deployment is that too much time elapses from the time the user becomes aware of the threat to the time that the device is ready to be effectively used. This is further exacerbated by stress arising from the user being startled. There is often very little time in which to react and deploy the self defense spray device. The user will have very little time to reach for, locate, extricate, orient the spray canister and release the safety mechanism. Even in situations where a user has kept the device in a conventional holder at the user's side on a belt, the user must still remove the device from the holder and orient the device to insure that the nozzle is pointing towards the threat. This is because the typical self defense spray canister is freely rotatable within the conventional holders. Then the user must release the safety. With many of the prior art devices, these steps are often time consuming and necessitate the use of both hands. During an encounter with an aggressive assailant (person or animal), the events can unfold so rapidly that fractions of a second lost in both time and attention on account of locating and deploying the device can mean the difference between successfully repelling the attack and being injured by it.